Shot this today during load development. The rifle is .223 on a R700 with a 20" 8 twist Lilja 3 groove, and a Mcm A3. Scope is a Premier Heritage. The rifle was built by Randy of R+D precision. The barrel had a few hundred rounds through it prior to today without cleaning including some moly. No break-in of any kind was done on the barrel.
I've had the rifle for a few months now but just got serious a few weeks ago about shooting it. I wanted to shoot 75 amax's but they would not hold an inch and a half with the three powders tried. I am unable to jam the amax's and still mag fit them so i may need to revisit them later. I had tried FGGM 69 and 77 gr ammo when I first got the rifle and it really liked the 77's so i tried some, here are the results.
The loads: 77gr SMK's with lapua brass, Varget, and Sellier & Bellot primers. The charge weights are listed in the upper right quadrant of each bull and the group size in the lower right. The group size average for all eleven groups is .45 MOA, the first page average is .37 MOA. The charge range was 22-25 grains of Varget. 25 grains is over max according to Hornady but I am seating them longer and had no issues, your mileage may vary, tread lightly. The velocity ranges for the charges were 2480-2830fps. They were all loaded to 1.880 measured using a davidson nosepiece on my caliper. The length makes for a .005" jump to the lands and easily fits in a standard Remington internal box mag. This is much closer than where I would usually end up and I expect my velocity spreads to settle down when I jump the bullets a bit more.
Every shot was witnessed by Hide member McCrazy. I told him he didn't need to as i could see the groups fine through the Premier. That must have been f&@ckin tedious. Thanks Jon, I appreciate the help! These were fired over a period of about four hours as we spotted for each other. He is testing a new GAP 7wsm which was doing pretty well with hunting ammo, I'm sure he'll post about it. For some reason I was having a lot of eye strain when moving from the spotter to the Premier. This was most evident on the second target, and I'll be revisiting those loads. Oddly, the first round of each group at charges 24.1, 24.7, and 25 were flyers at 12 o'clock.
I made a .1 mil sight change on the last two groups on this page (bottom two).
The screamer of the day and very last group fired. I actually let these rounds cook in the sun for about 40 minutes. I forgot my thermometer again so I don't know how hot they were on the outside but I made sure i rolled them around so they were cooked evenly. It was sunny and 80+ out, so they were very warm. It was a 23 gr charge. They were 53 fps faster (average) than my 22.9 gr load. I loaded 25 rounds of the 23 grain charge so i could play on the steel targets at the end of the group testing.
String 1
1) 2497.0 16.2
2) 2479.0 -1.8
3) 2494.0 13.2
4) 2461.0 -19.8
5) 2473.0 -7.8
High: 2497.0
Low: 2461.0
E.S.: 36.0
Ave.: 2480.8
S.D.: 14.9
95%: ±20.7
String 2
1) 2577.0 29.0
2) 2534.0 -14.0
3) 2527.0 -21.0
4) 2554.0 6.0
High: 2577.0
Low: 2527.0
E.S.: 50.0
Ave.: 2548.0
S.D.: 22.5
95%: ±41.3
String 3
1) 2589.0 15.2
2) 2568.0 -5.8
3) 2556.0 -17.8
4) 2586.0 12.2
5) 2570.0 -3.8
High: 2589.0
Low: 2556.0
E.S.: 33.0
Ave.: 2573.8
S.D.: 13.6
95%: ±18.9
String 4
1) 2616.0 -9.4
2) 2638.0 12.6
3) 2608.0 -17.4
4) 2632.0 6.6
5) 2633.0 7.6
High: 2638.0
Low: 2608.0
E.S.: 30.0
Ave.: 2625.4
S.D.: 12.8
95%: ±17.8
String 5
1) 2693.0 23.4
2) 2664.0 -5.6
3) 2664.0 -5.6
4) 2662.0 -7.6
5) 2665.0 -4.6
High: 2693.0
Low: 2662.0
E.S.: 31.0
Ave.: 2669.6
S.D.: 13.1
95%: ±18.2
String 6
1) 2718.0 2.8
2) 2697.0 -18.2
3) 2736.0 20.8
4) 2704.0 -11.2
5) 2721.0 5.8
High: 2736.0
Low: 2697.0
E.S.: 39.0
Ave.: 2715.2
S.D.: 15.3
95%: ±21.2
String 7
1) 2753.0 2.8
2) 2753.0 2.8
3) 2740.0 -10.2
4) 2746.0 -4.2
5) 2759.0 8.8
High: 2759.0
Low: 2740.0
E.S.: 19.0
Ave.: 2750.2
S.D.: 7.3
95%: ±10.1
String 8
1) 2761.0 -20.8
2) 2777.0 -4.8
3) 2795.0 13.2
4) 2785.0 3.2
5) 2791.0 9.2
High: 2795.0
Low: 2761.0
E.S.: 34.0
Ave.: 2781.8
S.D.: 13.5
95%: ±18.7
String 9
1) 2797.0 -12.6
2) 2776.0 -33.6
3) 2832.0 22.4
4) 2810.0 0.4
5) 2833.0 23.4
High: 2833.0
Low: 2776.0
E.S.: 57.0
Ave.: 2809.6
S.D.: 24.2
95%: ±33.6
String 10
1) 2829.0 -1.2
2) 2835.0 4.8
3) 2818.0 -12.2
4) 2829.0 -1.2
5) 2840.0 9.8
High: 2840.0
Low: 2818.0
E.S.: 22.0
Ave.: 2830.2
S.D.: 8.2
95%: ±11.4
String 11
1) 2664.0 38.0
2) 2628.0 2.0
3) 2591.0 -35.0
4) 2624.0 -2.0
5) 2623.0 -3.0
High: 2664.0
Low: 2591.0
E.S.: 73.0
Ave.: 2626.0
S.D.: 25.9
95%: ±35.9
I've had the rifle for a few months now but just got serious a few weeks ago about shooting it. I wanted to shoot 75 amax's but they would not hold an inch and a half with the three powders tried. I am unable to jam the amax's and still mag fit them so i may need to revisit them later. I had tried FGGM 69 and 77 gr ammo when I first got the rifle and it really liked the 77's so i tried some, here are the results.
The loads: 77gr SMK's with lapua brass, Varget, and Sellier & Bellot primers. The charge weights are listed in the upper right quadrant of each bull and the group size in the lower right. The group size average for all eleven groups is .45 MOA, the first page average is .37 MOA. The charge range was 22-25 grains of Varget. 25 grains is over max according to Hornady but I am seating them longer and had no issues, your mileage may vary, tread lightly. The velocity ranges for the charges were 2480-2830fps. They were all loaded to 1.880 measured using a davidson nosepiece on my caliper. The length makes for a .005" jump to the lands and easily fits in a standard Remington internal box mag. This is much closer than where I would usually end up and I expect my velocity spreads to settle down when I jump the bullets a bit more.
Every shot was witnessed by Hide member McCrazy. I told him he didn't need to as i could see the groups fine through the Premier. That must have been f&@ckin tedious. Thanks Jon, I appreciate the help! These were fired over a period of about four hours as we spotted for each other. He is testing a new GAP 7wsm which was doing pretty well with hunting ammo, I'm sure he'll post about it. For some reason I was having a lot of eye strain when moving from the spotter to the Premier. This was most evident on the second target, and I'll be revisiting those loads. Oddly, the first round of each group at charges 24.1, 24.7, and 25 were flyers at 12 o'clock.
I made a .1 mil sight change on the last two groups on this page (bottom two).
The screamer of the day and very last group fired. I actually let these rounds cook in the sun for about 40 minutes. I forgot my thermometer again so I don't know how hot they were on the outside but I made sure i rolled them around so they were cooked evenly. It was sunny and 80+ out, so they were very warm. It was a 23 gr charge. They were 53 fps faster (average) than my 22.9 gr load. I loaded 25 rounds of the 23 grain charge so i could play on the steel targets at the end of the group testing.
String 1
1) 2497.0 16.2
2) 2479.0 -1.8
3) 2494.0 13.2
4) 2461.0 -19.8
5) 2473.0 -7.8
High: 2497.0
Low: 2461.0
E.S.: 36.0
Ave.: 2480.8
S.D.: 14.9
95%: ±20.7
String 2
1) 2577.0 29.0
2) 2534.0 -14.0
3) 2527.0 -21.0
4) 2554.0 6.0
High: 2577.0
Low: 2527.0
E.S.: 50.0
Ave.: 2548.0
S.D.: 22.5
95%: ±41.3
String 3
1) 2589.0 15.2
2) 2568.0 -5.8
3) 2556.0 -17.8
4) 2586.0 12.2
5) 2570.0 -3.8
High: 2589.0
Low: 2556.0
E.S.: 33.0
Ave.: 2573.8
S.D.: 13.6
95%: ±18.9
String 4
1) 2616.0 -9.4
2) 2638.0 12.6
3) 2608.0 -17.4
4) 2632.0 6.6
5) 2633.0 7.6
High: 2638.0
Low: 2608.0
E.S.: 30.0
Ave.: 2625.4
S.D.: 12.8
95%: ±17.8
String 5
1) 2693.0 23.4
2) 2664.0 -5.6
3) 2664.0 -5.6
4) 2662.0 -7.6
5) 2665.0 -4.6
High: 2693.0
Low: 2662.0
E.S.: 31.0
Ave.: 2669.6
S.D.: 13.1
95%: ±18.2
String 6
1) 2718.0 2.8
2) 2697.0 -18.2
3) 2736.0 20.8
4) 2704.0 -11.2
5) 2721.0 5.8
High: 2736.0
Low: 2697.0
E.S.: 39.0
Ave.: 2715.2
S.D.: 15.3
95%: ±21.2
String 7
1) 2753.0 2.8
2) 2753.0 2.8
3) 2740.0 -10.2
4) 2746.0 -4.2
5) 2759.0 8.8
High: 2759.0
Low: 2740.0
E.S.: 19.0
Ave.: 2750.2
S.D.: 7.3
95%: ±10.1
String 8
1) 2761.0 -20.8
2) 2777.0 -4.8
3) 2795.0 13.2
4) 2785.0 3.2
5) 2791.0 9.2
High: 2795.0
Low: 2761.0
E.S.: 34.0
Ave.: 2781.8
S.D.: 13.5
95%: ±18.7
String 9
1) 2797.0 -12.6
2) 2776.0 -33.6
3) 2832.0 22.4
4) 2810.0 0.4
5) 2833.0 23.4
High: 2833.0
Low: 2776.0
E.S.: 57.0
Ave.: 2809.6
S.D.: 24.2
95%: ±33.6
String 10
1) 2829.0 -1.2
2) 2835.0 4.8
3) 2818.0 -12.2
4) 2829.0 -1.2
5) 2840.0 9.8
High: 2840.0
Low: 2818.0
E.S.: 22.0
Ave.: 2830.2
S.D.: 8.2
95%: ±11.4
String 11
1) 2664.0 38.0
2) 2628.0 2.0
3) 2591.0 -35.0
4) 2624.0 -2.0
5) 2623.0 -3.0
High: 2664.0
Low: 2591.0
E.S.: 73.0
Ave.: 2626.0
S.D.: 25.9
95%: ±35.9
